Device For Detection And Elimination Of Insects Such As Bed Bugs

ABSTRACT

A device ( 2 ) for detection and elimination of pest insects includes a structure ( 20 ) having a main portion ( 22 ) adapted to engage with a supporting surface. The main portion has an associated edge ( 23 ), the main portion partially engaging with the supporting surface. A first flap ( 24 ) is attached to the main portion, a first flap edge ( 28 ) being associated with the first flap. The edges ( 23, 28 ) define an opening ( 33 ) for allowing entry of an insect such as a bed bug into an interior of the structure ( 20 ). At least one aperture ( 35 ) is arranged in the main portion. A double-sided adhesive strip ( 36 ) has an upper face ( 30 ) arranged on a face of the main portion. The adhesive strip completely covers the face of the aperture. An insecticide ( 34 ) in powder form at least partially fills the at least one aperture arranged in the main portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage of PCT International applicationno. PCT/SE2013/050082, filed 31 Jan. 2013, which claimed priority inSwedish patent application no. 1250074-0, filed 2 Feb. 2012 and in U.S.Provisional patent application No. 61/696,841 filed 5 Sep. 2012, thecontents of these applications being hereby incorporated by referenceherein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a device for detection and elimination ofinsects such as bed bugs.

BACKGROUND

Insect infestation of human habitats has been on the increase in recentyears. One reason for this increase is the development of resistantinsect species that are virtually immune to prevalent exterminationmethods. By way of example, the population of bed bugs, having beenalmost eradicated in the developed world in the 1940s, has slowly beenrecovering since then. Moreover, the recovery has accelerated sincemid-1990s.

Bed bugs are also representative for synoptically illustrating behaviourand properties of the entire class of crawling insects. Accordingly, bedbugs are wingless insects with exoskeleton, the size and shape of theapple seed. They favour tight and dark spaces. Consequently, they preferto hide in crevices and cracks in floor/walls and behindskirting-boards. They feed on blood, are active at night and bite anyareas of exposed skin. A number of adverse health effects may occur dueto bed bug bites, including skin rashes, allergic reactions and/ormental distress. Obviously, above-mentioned rise in population hascontributed to increase in bed bug bites and related conditions.

Several methods of combating infestation in general, and that of bedbugs in particular, are known in the art.

One way to address said problem is to subject, for a determined periodof time, the infested area to a temperature, either high or low, that isinjurious to bed bugs. Accordingly, to kill adult bedbugs as well aslaid eggs, said area needs to be heated above 45° C. for one hour or bekept below −18° C. for at least 48 hours.

One frequently used method for combating bed bugs is to spreaddiatomaceous earth (DE) in powder form on the floor and/or along orbehind skirting-boards of the room. Once the bed bug comes into contactwith DE, substantially needle-shaped, micrometer-sized pieces of DEpenetrate the exoskeleton of the bed bug. This starts an irreversibledehydrating process in the bed bug eventually leading to its death. Thismethod may be used in combating other insects having similar propertiesand behavioural patterns.

The above method is, however, ridden with considerable drawbacks. Morespecifically, spreading DE in powder form creates a hazardous workingenvironment for the sanitation personnel and the inhabitants sinceprolonged exposure to air borne dust released by freely laid DE-powderincreases risk of silicosis. Said release of dust is accelerated bymovement of air in the room. To avoid damage to their respiratoryorgans, sanitation personnel wear protective equipment when applying thepowder in infested rooms. In this context, children and pets are notallowed to be in the infested room while powder is being applied.Furthermore, it is unacceptable to apply DE-powder in bedrooms close tobeds. However, if a room is infested, beds are very likely to harbourbed bugs. Moreover, the use of, for instance, vacuum cleaner in order toclean the floor sections adjacent to those where the powder is appliedis significantly limited during treatment. In this context, a sanitationtreatment of the above type lasts for approximately 5 weeks. Moreover, adesiccant such as DE-powder, when put in direct contact with the ambientair, rapidly absorbs humidity from the ambient air. The increased watercontent in the DE-powder, in turn, reduces its efficiency. In addition,as described above, bed bugs are attracted by tight and dark spaces.These favourable conditions are virtually impossible to achieve ifDE-powder is freely laid on the floor. Also, removal and/orreorientation of the laid DE-powder become relatively complicated.Finally, if DE-powder is placed behind skirting-boards, thedisinfestation process is prohibitively expensive, extremelytime-consuming and complicated.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,676,985 discloses a rather complex system, preferably inwood or plastic, for monitoring and eradication of bed bugs and othersimilar pests. The system comprises an insecticide only partiallyenclosed by different parts of said system. This design feature severelylimits its efficiency. More specifically, the insecticide at theinterior of the device is accessible to bed bugs if said device ispositioned on a vertical planar surface. Even then, a risk exists of bedbugs just traversing the system, i.e. entering and exiting the systemvia entry respectively exit points created by spacers, without gettingin contact with the insecticide. If the system, on the other hand, ispositioned on the horizontal planar surface such as a floor, thevertical distance between the floor and the insecticide kept at theinterior of the device makes it impossible for the crawling, non-wingedbed bug to get in contact with the insecticide. Consequently, the bedbug exits the system without ever getting in contact with theinsecticide. Thus, inherent properties of the system make itnon-suitable for horizontal positioning, i.e. positioning on the floorwith the insecticide facing the floor. Thus, its use is, albeit withlimited efficiency as shown above, basically limited to verticalpositioning, i.e. attached to the wall and extending in the plane thatis parallel with the plane of walls. This severely limits theversatility of the device, and consequently its usefulness. In the samecontext, system is not independent and must rely on interaction withother bodies/surfaces to operate properly.

One objective of the present invention is therefore to provide animproved system targeting insects such as bed bugs that eliminates atleast some of the drawbacks associated with the current art.

SUMMARY

The above stated objective is achieved by means of an inventive conceptcomprising a device for detection, i.e. establishing if there are deadinsects in the room through ocular inspection so as to determine whethera room is infested, and elimination of insects such as bed bugs and aroll comprising elements for assembling said device according to theindependent claims, and by the embodiments according to the dependentclaims. In this way a fast, safe, efficient and easily deployablesolution for detection and elimination of insects such as bed bugs isobtained.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a device for detectionand elimination of insects such as bed bugs. Said device comprises astructure having a main portion with a thereto associated edge, saidmain portion being adapted to at least partially engage with asupporting surface, the structure further comprising a first flapattached to said main portion, a first flap edge being associated tosaid first flap, wherein said first flap is arranged so that said edgesdefine an opening for allowing entry of an insect such as bed bug intointerior of the structure, said interior being substantially delimitedby the main portion and the first flap, and wherein at least oneaperture is arranged in the main portion of the structure, said devicefurther comprising a double-sided adhesive strip an upper face of whichis arranged on a face of the main portion that faces the supportingsurface such that said adhesive strip completely covers the face of saidat least one aperture, and an insecticide in powder form that at leastpartially fills the at least one aperture arranged in the main portion.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a roll with elementsfor assembling said device for detection and elimination of insects suchas bed bugs. A continuous band of fibrous material is wound up on saidroll, said band having a main portion and a first flap, wherein at leastone aperture is arranged in the main portion along at least part of thelength of the continuous band, and a continuous, double-sided adhesivestrip is arranged on a face of the main portion along at least a part ofthe length of said band, said face facing away from the flap such thatsaid adhesive strip completely covers the face of said at least oneaperture, wherein said aperture is at least partially filled with aninsecticide in powder form.

The device of the present invention offers unrestricted freedom asregards its positioning. Accordingly, it can be placed on the floor, inimmediate vicinity of the bed, along the skirting-board or, in avertical position, on the wall. Also, the device may easily be displacedand reoriented.

Moreover, structural design of the device prevents any significantrelease of dust originating from insecticide in powder form into theambient air, whereby significant pollution of the ambient air isavoided. This contributes in improving the work environment for thesanitation personnel. The inherent structural properties of the deviceensure that no significant amount of humidity from the ambient air maybe absorbed by the insecticide, whereby the efficiency of the device isimproved and its useful life prolonged.

Further advantages and features of embodiments will become apparent whenreading the following detailed description in conjunction with thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bedroom with a plurality of devicesaccording to the present invention installed in the bedroom.

FIGS. 2 a and FIG. 2 b are highly schematical, cross-sectionalrespectively top view of a device according to an embodiment of thepresent invention, whereas FIG. 2 c is a perspective view of saiddevice.

FIGS. 3 a-3 c show different embodiments of a main portion of astructure belonging to a device being structurally comparable to deviceof FIGS. 2 a-2 c.

FIG. 4 a and FIG. 4 b are highly schematical, cross-sectionalrespectively top view of a device according to another embodiment of thepresent invention, whereas FIG. 4 c is a perspective view of saiddevice.

FIGS. 5 a-5 c show different embodiments of a main portion of astructure belonging to a device being structurally comparable to deviceof FIGS. 4 a-4 c.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional close-up of a portion of a device accordingto one embodiment of the present invention, said close-up showing anaperture filled with insecticide in powder form.

FIG. 7 a shows a continuous, flat band of fibrous material transformableinto device according to FIGS. 4 a-4 c, whereas FIG. 7 b shows said bandwhen wound up in a roll.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsare shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many differentforms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments setforth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that thisdisclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey thescope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings,like reference signs refer to like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bedroom 5 with a plurality of devices2 according to the present invention installed in the bedroom 5. In thiscontext, the devices of the present invention may be used for meredetection of bed bugs, i.e. as a monitoring tool, or they may beemployed as instruments for their downright elimination. As it can beseen, a device 2 may be horizontally positioned along theskirting-boards 6, or vertically positioned. It can also, in anupside-down position be attached to the face of the base of a bed 4 thatfaces the floor. In addition, the devices 2 may also be positionedadjacent to the bed 4. Clearly, the device offers unrestricted freedomas regards its positioning. Since beds are places in a potentiallyinfested home that most likely will attract bed bugs, the installationof the device(s) adjacent to the bed has, in addition to its positiveeffects as regards detection and/or elimination of bed bugs, a positiveeffect on the quality of sleep of the inhabitants. In other words, theperson in bed may sleep peacefully knowing that possible bed bugs willbe at least contaminated by an insecticide (not shown in FIG. 1) heldwithin the device and in most cases even permanently held within thedevice. Also adding to the device's versatility, the device may easilybe displaced and reoriented. As an option, for increased efficiency inattracting bed bugs, the device and its components may be impregnated byan odour attractant such as a suitable pheromone.

A highly schematical cross-sectional, respectively, top view of a device2 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.2 a and 2 b. The device 2 comprises a structure 20 having a main portion22 with a thereto associated edge 23, said main portion being adapted toat least partially engage with a supporting surface. The structure 20also comprises a first flap 24 that is attached to the main portion,wherein a first flap edge 28 is associated to the first flap. Said firstflap 24 is arranged so that the edges 23, 28 define an opening 33 forallowing entry of an insect such as bed bug into interior of thestructure 20, said interior being substantially delimited by the mainportion 22 and the first flap 24.

A plurality of apertures 35 arranged in the main portion 22 of thestructure 20 is clearly visible in FIG. 2 c. In addition to them, thedevice comprises a double-sided adhesive strip (not visible in FIG. 2 c)an upper face of which is arranged on a face of the main portion 20 thatfaces the supporting surface. Said adhesive strip completely covers theface of the plurality of apertures 35 of FIG. 2 c. An insecticide inpowder form (not shown in FIGS. 2 a-2 c) at least partially fills theapertures 35 arranged in the main portion 22.

FIGS. 3 a-3 c show different embodiments of a main portion of astructure belonging to a device being structurally comparable to deviceof FIGS. 2 a-2 c. As it can be seen, very diverse patterns 41, 43, 45are possible. The only functional requirement imposed being that theaperture(s) is/are so positioned that the bed bug cannot cross the mainportion in a straight line without getting in contact with themechanical insecticide that at least partially fills said apertures.

A highly schematical cross-sectional, respectively, top view of a device2 according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIGS. 4 a and 4 b. In this context, a structure 20 making up the device2 is shown having a substantially triangular cross-section, but otheralternatives such as rectangular, round, semi-round or ovalcross-section are equally conceivable. A flat main portion 22 of thestructure 20 is adapted to at least partially engage with a supportingsurface, such as floor or wall. Width of the main portion 22 could beanywhere between 15 and 40 mm. First and second flaps 24, 26 areattached to the main portion 22. By providing acute angles at the jointsof the main portion 22 with the respective flap 24, 26, the region atthe interior of the structure 20 that is close to said joints is madeattractive to bed bugs, as these prefer tight places. In the samecontext, inner faces of the structure 20 are preferably dark-coloured,e.g. black, as bed bugs favour dark places. Consequently, they spendmore time in the structure in general, and in said region in particular,which prolongs their exposure to the insecticide (not shown in FIGS. 4a-4 c). Obviously, this improves efficiency of the device. First andsecond edges 28, 31, substantially parallel to the main portion 22, areassociated to the corresponding flaps 24, 26. Straight distance betweenthe first and the second edge could be anywhere between 0.5 and 15 mm.An opening 33 for allowing entry of an insect such as bed bug intointerior of the structure 20 is defined by said first and second edges28, 31. In this non-limiting embodiment, the opening 33 is substantiallyrectangular and substantially perpendicular to the main portion 22 andthe straight distance between the first and the second edge is so set toallow entry of an insect such as bed bug into an interior of thestructure 20, the interior being substantially delimited by the mainportion 22 and the flaps 24, 26. At least one aperture (not visible inFIG. 4 a) is arranged in the main portion 22 of the structure 20.

In a non-limiting embodiment, the entire structure is made in one pieceand sections of the structure where the main portion and the respectiveflap adjoin are notched so as to facilitate folding of the flaps.

In another non-limiting embodiment dictated by productionconsiderations, the structure is made in paper. A further argument infavour of using paper is that bed bugs are attracted to paper objects.More specifically, as is known in the art, the paper surface has atactile appeal to the bed bugs. In this context, other fibrous materialssuch as regular or corrugated cardboard, wood, textile or anycombination thereof are also envisageable.

As it can be seen in FIG. 4 c, FIG. 4 c being a perspective view of thedevice of FIGS. 4 a and 4 b, design of the device, and in particulardesign of the structure 20, prevents any significant release of dustoriginating from insecticide in powder form (not shown in FIGS. 4 a-4 c)into the ambient air, whereby significant pollution of the ambient airis avoided. This also contributes in improving the work environment forthe sanitation personnel. The inherent structural properties of thestructure 20 ensure that no significant amount of humidity from theambient air is absorbed by the insecticide, whereby the efficiency ofthe device is improved and its useful life prolonged.

A plurality of apertures 35 arranged in the main portion 22 of thestructure 20 is clearly visible in FIG. 4 c. In addition to them, thedevice comprises a double-sided adhesive strip (not visible in FIG. 4 c)an upper face of which is arranged on a face of the main portion 20 thatfaces the supporting surface. Said adhesive strip completely covers theface of the plurality of apertures 35 of FIG. 4 c.

An installed device, either on the floor, on the wall or elsewhere,creates a physical obstacle that bed bugs have to force when movingaround. Once they enter the device, via the opening, they keep movinguntil they reach the apertures provided with the insecticide in powderform. Said insecticide is typically a mild mechanical insecticide suchas diatomaceous earth (DE), also known as diatomite, infusorial earth,siliceous earth, celite or kieselgur. Optionally, the mechanicalinsecticide may be complemented by a suitable chemical insecticide suchas boric acid. The substantially needle-shaped, micrometer-sized piecesof DE-powder penetrate the exoskeleton of the bed bug. This starts anirreversible dehydrating process in the bed bug leading eventually, i.e.after approximately 10-14 days, to its death. Usually, they remain inthe interior of the device, but may occasionally manage to exit thedevice before they fatally dry out. Obviously, use of other insecticidesthan DE having suitable properties is possible. Moreover, the deviceaccording to the present invention may be used in combatting otherinsects having similar properties and behavioural patterns to those ofbed bugs.

FIGS. 5 a-5 c show different embodiments of a main portion of astructure belonging to a device being structurally comparable to deviceof FIGS. 4 a-4 c. Once more, diverse patterns 42, 44, 46 are possibleand the only functional requirement imposed is that the apertures are sopositioned that the bed bug cannot cross the main portion in a straightline without getting in contact with the mechanical insecticide that atleast partially fills said apertures.

A double-sided adhesive strip 36 may be seen in FIG. 6 which is across-sectional close-up of a portion of a device according to oneembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows one aperture 35arranged in a main portion of the structure, said aperture 35 beingcompletely filled with insecticide 34 in powder form. In FIG. 6, theinsecticide 34 is also provided on the face of the main portion facingaway from the floor. As an alternative, to facilitate the application ofthe insecticide 34, a slurry containing said insecticide may be used.Consequently, prior to the installation of the device, a drying of theslurry is required so that it is transformed into powder.

First purpose of the double-sided adhesive strip 36 is to firmly anchorthe entire device to the supporting surface, floor or wall. Its secondpurpose is to ensure that the insecticide 34 in powder form at all timesat least partially fills the aperture 35 arranged in the main portion.More specifically, since the appropriate section of the adhesive stripcompletely covers the aperture from below, a certain quantity of theinsecticide placed into the aperture is always adhesively held in theaperture. This contributes to the reliability of the device.Consequently, the device of the present invention may be placed in avertical position on the wall and still be operative which improves itsversatility. Moreover, the powder is kept in place in case of aninadvertent removal of the device, for instance if accidentally kicked.Accordingly, a robust device is obtained. Also, thanks to theinteraction between the aperture and the adhesive strip, a minimumquantity of the insecticide necessary for operation of the device, i.e.necessary to at least cover the bottom face of each aperture, may beaccurately determined. This renders possible significant materialsavings, with considerable economic as well as environmental benefits.

FIG. 7 a shows a continuous, flat band 50 of fibrous materialtransformable into device according to FIGS. 4 a-4 c. Said band has amain portion (not visible in FIG. 7 a), a first 52 and a second flap 54,wherein the two flaps at least partially overlap. The second flap 54 issandwiched between the first flap 52 and the main portion. An aperture(not visible in FIG. 7 a) is arranged in the main portion along at leastpart of the length of the continuous band. A continuous, double-sidedadhesive strip (not shown in FIG. 7 a) is arranged on a face of the mainportion along at least a part of the length of the band, said facefacing away from the flaps such that said adhesive strip completelycovers the face of said one aperture. Said aperture is at leastpartially filled with an insecticide in powder form (not shown in FIG. 7a). Driven by production considerations, long bands of fibrous material(25-30 meters), and equally long, thereto attached adhesive strips, suchas band and strip of FIG. 7 a, may be produced, wound up in a roll, suchas a highly schematical roll 55 of FIG. 7 b that is basically ready fordelivery to the customer's, and subsequently cut to the right lengthwhen being installed in the room about to be treated. When said band,wound up in the roll, is to be deployed, i.e. basically transformed intothe device of the present invention, it is at first unwound andappropriately positioned in the room. The band is thereafter opened,either manually by placing a finger in the opening and drawing thefinger subsequently along the entire length of the band, or by adedicated tool, forcing thereby the paper flaps to open. In order toobtain the preferred shape of the device, and in particular thepreferred shape of the substantially rectangular opening, a manualadjustment of the device is probably necessary. A used up device isclosed by running a hand or a dedicated tool along the outermost flapwhile simultaneously pressing it downwards towards the supportingsurface and basically back into its shape prior to deployment. The usedup device is subsequently removed and disposed of. The band is also anexcellent vehicle for spreading useful information about bed bugs. Forinstance, a producer may make use of the band for printing operatinginstructions.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typicalpreferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms areemployed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forthin the following claims.

1. A device for detection and elimination of insects such as bed bugs, wherein said device comprises: a structure having a main portion with a thereto associated edge , said main portion being adapted to at least partially engage with a supporting surface, a first flap attached to said main portion, a first flap edge being associated to said first flap, wherein said first flap is arranged so that said main portion associated edge and the first flap edge define an opening for allowing entry of an insect such as a bed bug into an interior of the structure, said interior being substantially delimited by the main portion and the first flap, and wherein at least one aperture is arranged in the main portion of the structure, a double-sided adhesive strip having an upper face arranged on a face of the main portion that faces the supporting surface such that said adhesive strip completely covers the face and extends across said at least one aperture, and an insecticide in powder form located in the interior of the structure that at least partially fills the at least one aperture arranged in the main portion.
 2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second flap, attached to the main portion, a second flap edge being associated to said second flap, wherein said first flap and said second flap are arranged so that said first flap edge and second flap edge define the opening into the interior of the structure.
 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the structure is made in one piece and wherein a section of the structure where the main portion and the first flap adjoin is notched so as to facilitate folding of the flap.
 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the structure is made of paper or cardboard.
 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said opening is substantially rectangular and a straight distance between the edges is between 0.5 and 15 mm, more preferred between 1 and 10 mm and most preferred between 2.5 and 7.5 mm.
 6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an odorous insect attractant.
 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture is positioned so that the insect cannot cross the main portion in a straight line without contacting the insecticide.
 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said insecticide comprises a diatomaceous earth.
 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said insecticide further comprises a chemical insecticide.
 10. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one inner face of said structure is dark-colored.
 11. A roll for assembling a device for detection and elimination of insects such as bed bugs, comprising: a wound up, continuous band of fibrous material, said band having a main portion and a first flap folded thereover, wherein at least one aperture is arranged in the main portion along at least part of a length of the continuous band, and a continuous, double-sided adhesive strip arranged on a face of the main portion along at least a part of the length of said continuous band, said face facing away from the first flap such that said adhesive strip completely covers over the at least one aperture, said aperture being at least partially filled with an insecticide in powder form.
 12. The roll according to claim 11, further comprising: a second flap, wherein the first flap and the second flap at least partially overlap and the second flap is sandwiched between the main portion and the first flap.
 13. The device according to claim 2, wherein the structure is made in one piece and wherein a section of the structure where the main portion and at least one of the first flap or the second flap adjoin is notched so as to facilitate folding thereof.
 14. The device according to claim 2, wherein the structure is made of paper or cardboard.
 15. The device according to claim 2, wherein said opening is substantially rectangular and a straight distance between the edges is between 0.5 and 15 mm, more preferred between 1 and 10 mm and most preferred between 2.5 and 7.5 mm.
 16. The device according to claim 2, further comprising an odorous insect attractant.
 17. The device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one aperture is positioned so that the insect cannot cross the main portion in a straight line without contacting the insecticide.
 18. The device according to claim 2, wherein said insecticide comprises diatomaceous earth.
 19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said insecticide further comprises a chemical insecticide.
 20. The device according to claim 2, wherein at least one inner face of said structure is dark-colored. 